BOSTON, Mass. – Sophomore Kyle Henseler (Coventry, R.I.) paced four players in double figures with 18 points as the Wentworth Institute of Technology men's basketball team fended off a late Salve Regina charge with a 66-59 in in Commonwealth Coast Conference action Saturday afternoon.
Winners of two straight the Leopards improve to 6-11 overall and 4-5 in CCC play, while the Seahawks fall to 7-11 (3-6).
Wentworth came out of the gates scoring the first five points, thanks to a three pointer from Henseler on the first possession of the game and followed up by a junior Stephen Azums (Hyde Park, Mass.) layup. The Leopards increased their lead to 8-2 on a three from senior Zach Bergeon (Litchfield, N.H.) before Salve Regina used a7-0 run to take a 9-8 lead after a layup from freshman Mikey Spencer (Abington, Mass.). Spencer had the last five points of the run. A sophomore Gavin Keough (Dunstable, Mass.) three gave the hosts the lead back before sophomore Kevin Kelly (Valhalla, N.Y.) evened the score with a jumper.
After freshman Joseph Hecker (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) and freshman Andrew Richards (Rosedale, N.Y.) traded baskets, Azums and sophomore Tyler Lennon (Atkinson, N.H.) combined for the next five points, giving the hosts an 18-13 lead with 7:27 remaining in the half. Wentworth pushed its lead to nine (25-16) on a layup form Azums with two minutes left in the half and had a five-point lead (27-22) at the half.
The Seahawks began the second half on a 9-2 run and took a 31-29 lead on a sophomore Jonathan Friberg (North Attleboro, Mass.) layup. Bergeon and Keough sandwiched three pointers around a second made layup by Friberg and led by two with 16:14 to play. The teams traded baskets before the Leopards eventually extended their lead to as many as nine on two occasions, including when Henseler hit two free throws with 6:09 remaining. After Salve Regina whittled the lead to five on a Friberg free throw with 3:28 left, The Black & Gold reclaimed a nine-point lead after Henseler drained a three with 2:43 left. The Seahawks scored five of the next six points with a three from Spencer making it a 60-55 game with 1:47 remaining.
A Henseler layup gave Wentworth a 62-55 lead with 1:10 left in the contest, however, Salve Regina used a layup from Friberg and a second-chance layup from junior Andrew Bornstein (Needham, Mass.) to pull within three 22 ticks left. Henseler hit two free throws to push the lead to five and, after a turnover, he hit two more from the charity stripe to ice the game.
Ten of Henseler's team-high 18 points came from the free throw line as he was 10-for-12. Azums added 11 and five rebounds, while Bergeon and Keough each had 10 points to pace the Leopards.
Spencer led all scorers with 19 points while Friberg had 17 points and nine rebounds and freshman Mike Palmieri (Bristol, Conn.) added 11 points for the Seahawks.
Wentworth is at Western New England on Tuesday night. That same night, Salve Regina is at Roger Williams.
For the latest on Wentworth Athletics, follow the Leopards via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Wentworth Leopards "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
February 19, 2019
Gordon Pulls Away From Men's Basketball
February 18, 2019
Azums Earns Second Team All-CCC Honors
February 16, 2019
Men's Basketball Clipped by Nichols in Regular-Season Finale
February 9, 2019
Balanced Scoring Attack Lifts Men's Basketball Over Curry
February 5, 2019
Men's Basketball Rallies Past Rivier
February 2, 2019
Men's Basketball Suffers Road Loss to Endicott
January 26, 2019
Hawks Soar Past Men's Basketball
January 22, 2019
Strong Second Half Pushes Western New England Past Men's Basketball
January 19, 2019
Men's Basketball Fends off Late Salve Regina Charge
January 16, 2019
Men's Basketball Cruises Past Curry
January 10, 2019
Men's Basketball Defeated by Nichols
January 8, 2019
Endicott Flies Past Men's Basketball
January 5, 2019
Salve Regina Halts Men's Basketball's Win Streak
January 3, 2019
Men's Basketball Pulls Away From Roger Williams
December 30, 2018
Balanced Offense Helps Men's Basketball Halt Losing Streak
December 29, 2018
Worcester State Holds off Men's Basketball
December 14, 2018
Beacons Outlast Men's Basketball
December 8, 2018
Emmanuel Uses Strong Second Half to Rally Past Men's Basketball
December 4, 2018
UNE Outlasts Men's Basketball
November 28, 2018
Men's Basketball Defeated by Gordon in League Opener
November 18, 2018
Men's Basketball Falls to Coast Guard
November 17, 2018
Henseler's Late Three Lifts Men's Basketball to First Win
November 14, 2018
Framingham State Holds Off Men's Basketball
November 10, 2018
Wheaton Pulls Away From Men's Basketball in Season Opener